1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to catheter securement devices, specifically in their use to stabilize intravenous catheters in clinical settings.
2. Description of Prior Art
More than 400,000 newborns are admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) each year in the United States. Of these, a majority require long-term intravenous catheters to deliver necessary fluids and medicines. Many patients in NICUs are born considerably premature and have underdeveloped skin. A problem arises when traditional catheter securement devices damage underdeveloped skin and thus present a risk to neonates' health.
Traditional methods to secure catheters to patients require adhesives. It is common practice to lay multiple adhesive strips across the hub of the catheter and directly onto patients' skin adjacent to the site of entry. During a patient's stay, catheters are removed, cleaned, and re-attached periodically in patients requiring long-term intravenous tubes. This usually occurs once every two days, although specific routines vary by hospital.
Conventional catheter-anchoring methods have been used for nearly a century. While specific adhesive compounds have been changed to alter binding properties to the skin or to catheters, there have been no fundamental modifications to the solution. This method is generally effective in securement, but it fails to accommodate all the needs of the wide variety of patients admitted to hospitals. Its implementation on neonates is especially problematic.
Premature infants are underdeveloped in almost every way. Consequently, their skin is incredibly fragile and thin. The same tape-based securement methods used on adults are commonly used on NICU patients. Whereas the extent of adhesive-related damage in adults is generally moderate irritation, NICU patients face much more severe health issues. Their skin is so delicate that when tape is peeled away to change at catheter, the layer of skin in contact with the adhesive is often also peeled away. The resulting wounds are prone to infection, an obstacle that many premature infants' underdeveloped immune systems may not have the ability to overcome. There is clearly a pressing need for alternative catheter-securement methods or devices for NICU patients.